5.8 million Americans can't vote because of their criminal records (+ map)

[greenforest32]

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Read more at http://www.vox.com/2014/10/5/6906875/state-prisoner-voting-law-felon-disenfranchisement-map-virginia

[Grumpier Than Thou]

Gotta stop the blacks from voting, it's what our founding fathers would want.

[Adam Griffin]

Interesting that, particularly on the second map, the disenfranchisement is actually not the worst in the Deep South states.

[Indy Texas]

Gotta stop the blacks from voting, it's what our founding fathers would want.

Well, actually, yeah, most of them probably would not have liked the idea of black people voting...or women...or people who didn't own land. Which is why strict constructionism is such a profoundly stupid idea.

[KCDem]

Appalachia continues to be terrible.

[Simfan34]

Gotta stop the blacks from voting, it's what our founding fathers would want.

Well, actually, yeah, most of them probably would not have liked the idea of black people voting...or women...or people who didn't own land. Which is why strict constructionism is such a profoundly stupid idea.

Indeed it is. Originalism, however, which is likely also what you're trying to get at here, has little to do with the merits of the Constitution but rather what it means.

[memphis]

Nobody wondering why so many black people have felony convictions....

[Rockefeller GOP]

Appalachia continues to be terrible.

Missouri is so awesome.

[Indy Texas]

Appalachia continues to be terrible.

Missouri is so awesome.

They prefer to kill their blacks before they can convict them of any felonies.

[Slander and/or Libel]

Nobody wondering why so many black people have felony convictions....

So many reasons.

[courts]

memphis is the new sam spade? wonderful news

Gotta stop the blacks from voting, it's what our founding fathers would want.

this post is unintentionally funny for so many reasons.

and yes, they would want that... that's sort of at the root of a lot of the bizarre and pointless arguments in american politics. not all of it, but a lot of the mental gymnastics you see. particularly on the gun issue. it's great seeing liberals  arguing that gun control was always allowed under the constitution (ignoring the implications...). then  teabaggers will ramble on about freedom or something. although considering the typical 'anti-constitution' poster on atlas i almost regret making this point

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

I didn't know Florida had so many felons, much less felons without voting rights!

Those shades in Virginia are rather dark, but there's been some improvement since 2012, thanks to an effort from our former Governor and current felon Bob McDonnell.

[greenforest32]

I didn't know Florida had so many felons, much less felons without voting rights!

Those shades in Virginia are rather dark, but there's been some improvement since 2012, thanks to an effort from our former Governor and current felon Bob McDonnell.

It's a very popular policy with Rick Scott: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/21/rights-restoration-florida-ex-convicts_n_1904736.html

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[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Gotta stop the blacks from voting, it's what our founding fathers would want.

Except you have to remember that most states were prohibiting felons from voting before African Americans were given the right to vote.  So quite clearly, this was not done as a proxy to stop blacks from voting.  For an interesting timeline, see here.

[IceSpear]

I didn't know Florida had so many felons, much less felons without voting rights!

Those shades in Virginia are rather dark, but there's been some improvement since 2012, thanks to an effort from our former Governor and current felon Bob McDonnell.

It's a very popular policy with Rick Scott: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/21/rights-restoration-florida-ex-convicts_n_1904736.html

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The criminal should have his voting rights taken away.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Ah, Florida...

[King]

This would not be a problem if the millions of minorities who CAN vote did so.

[Mr. Illini]

Cringed seeing Florida and Virginia on there. Downright criminal.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

This would not be a problem if the millions of minorities who CAN vote did so.

I think the fact that a person does not have the ability to vote is a problem in itself.  Aside from that I would guess in some places in the South at this point the voter participation among eligible blacks is greater than among eligible whites (at least in the last presidential election).